Chambersburg firm helps in production of Hollywood film

CHAMBERSBURG - A Chambersburg company had a part in a big-screen movie about a Gettysburg College athlete's emotional return to the basketball court.

ProArts Advertising & Production, an advertising agency and production company, recently wrapped up its part in the production of the film "1000 to 1: The Cory Weissman Story."

The company was responsible for creating the electronic press kit, which includes behind the scenes footage, interviews with the stars and real life subjects, as well as shooting production stills and creating special features content for the DVD.

Filming ended last month for the movie, which chronicles the inspiring true story of Weissman, a 1,000-point high school basketball star, who suffered a catastrophic, life-threatening stroke in his freshman year at Gettysburg College, leaving him paralyzed on the left side.

Three years later, in the last game of his senior year, improbably, even impossibly, Weissman returned to the basketball court.

Gettysburg basketball coach George Petrie's plan was simple: Non-playing, still-recovering, co-captain Weissman would be a starter, would hear his name announced and then, to avoid any possibility of injury, would be immediately removed from the game after the opening tap.

When Weissman's name was announced and he walked to the center circle, the crowd erupted.

After a beaming Weissman was quickly replaced the cheering intensified. A raucous celebration of the triumphant climax of one extraordinary young athlete's utterly unlikely journey and the impact he made on his family, team, school, and even the opposing teams.

With Gettysburg up by a commanding lead, Coach Petrie made the decision to put Weissman back in for the game's remaining seconds, thinking this could be a great ending. But for opposing Washington College coach Rob Nugent, it was only the beginning.

Nugent instructed his players to deliberately foul Weissman. In his last season, in his last game, Cory Weissman finally had the chance to score the first - and only - point of his collegiate basketball career.

His emotional return to the court garnered national media attention and Weissman was featured as the No. 10 play on Sportscenter's Top 10 plays.
The movie, which was filmed in Gettysburg, is expected to be released in 2013.

"1,000 to 1: The Cory Weissman Story" is produced by former longtime Disney executive Bruce Gordon and Bob Burris ("Growing Pains"), who also wrote the script, and will be directed by Michael Levine ("Nowhere Man").

David Henrie ("Wizards of Waverly Place") will play the lead and is joined by multiple Emmy nominee Beau Bridges ("The Descendants") staring as the Gettysburg College basketball coach George Petrie, Luke Kleintank ("Gossip Girl") as Weissman's best friend and teammate, Brendan "Pops" Trelease, Jean Louisa Kelly ("Yes, Dear") as Cory's mother Tina, a physical therapist who became her son's partner in a long recovery, Cassi Thomson ("Big Love") who plays Ally, a close friend of Cory's who is emotionally overwhelmed by the traumatic event, Hannah Marks ("Necessary Roughness") staring as Jess, a star college lacrosse player who becomes Cory's girlfriend, and Academy Award nominee Michael Lerner (Barton Fink) as Dr. Bill Wells, the psychiatrist who guided Cory through his challenging recovery.